Pope Leo XIV has strongly criticised surrogacy, describing it as a practice that undermines human dignity and distorts the fundamental meaning of family life.
Speaking to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, the Pope reiterated the Catholic Church’s rejection of “any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development,” specifically naming surrogacy as one of such practices.
Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another individual or couple who are unable to conceive. The process often involves fertility clinics, agencies, medical screening, legal contracts and financial compensation.
In recent years, the practice has expanded globally, driven by advances in reproductive technology, rising infertility rates and changing social attitudes toward family formation.
According to Pope Leo, transforming pregnancy into a contractual service violates the dignity of both the child and the woman carrying the pregnancy. He warned that such arrangements reduce children to commodities and exploit women by turning their bodies and reproductive capacity into tools for negotiation.
“Life is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service,” the Pope said.
“By transforming gestation into a negotiable service, this violates the dignity of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, whose body and generative process are exploited, thereby distorting the original relational calling of the family.”
Beyond surrogacy, the Pope also condemned abortion and euthanasia, describing both as violations of the fundamental right to life. He expressed concern over international initiatives that support cross-border access to abortion services, arguing that public resources should prioritise supporting mothers, families and vulnerable persons rather than terminating life.
“The primary objective must remain the protection of every unborn child and the effective, concrete support of every woman so that she is able to welcome life,” he said.
On euthanasia, Pope Leo criticised what he described as “deceptive forms of compassion,” noting that several countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, New Zealand and Uruguay, have established legal frameworks permitting the practice.
He argued that societies have a moral duty to respond to suffering through palliative care, social support and policies of solidarity, rather than by intentionally ending life.
